Why Tanzania Football officials, others must be held accountable in Yanga, Simba derby flop

Unfortunately, we’ve seen numerous instances where stakeholders in football have been penalised for various infractions, some more serious than others. For example, the case of young Liston Katabazi, banned for life from football just for asking about the legitimacy of voters, which led to charges of causing panic. And then there’s Mbwana Makatta, who was punished for opposing a match being played without an ambulance, when it was the responsibility of the authorities to ensure that the ambulance was on-site.

However, those responsible for ensuring that the ambulance was present have never been held accountable. This is where the law, like a saw, loses its sharpness when it's pulled back. Unfortunately, the TFF (Tanzania Football Federation) and the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) are consistently shielded from repercussions, even when serious mistakes occur, such as changing match times at the last minute or postponing games with little regard for regulations.

The most recent saga, between Yanga and Simba, is a perfect example of how the system continues to fail. The match, originally scheduled for March 8, has been called into question following an error made by the League Management and Administration Committee, which postponed the match citing an "emergency." But let’s be clear: an emergency in football is a situation beyond the organisers' control, such as a natural disaster, a flood, or an event that directly impacts the safety of the players or staff. Disruptions caused by human actions, including poor planning or violations of rules, do not constitute emergencies.

In this case, the committee decided to postpone the match just hours before it was due to take place. And yet, there was no genuine emergency to justify this last-minute decision. The match was postponed because of issues, including Simba being denied their right to train on the host's pitch. These are not the kind of issues that should lead to a game being postponed, especially with so little notice.

This failure to properly address the situation is a recurring pattern. The League Management and Administration Committee appears to make arbitrary decisions without accountability from TFF’s disciplinary bodies. It has almost become the norm for matches to be postponed without proper justification, and this trend is damaging to the integrity of the game.

TFF, for its part, has now taken to blaming other people, claiming that "some want to ruin our football," and insisting that the Yanga vs Simba match must go ahead. Such statements from TFF leaders are concerning, particularly when the league’s officials have made significant regulatory errors themselves. If Simba was not to blame for not attending the match because the authorities postponed it, and Yanga had fulfilled its obligations to attend, TFF should have taken a more careful approach to its statements and actions.

At this point, TFF’s harsh rhetoric is not helpful in resolving the situation. In fact, it risks escalating the issue further. What if Yanga demands further changes before playing, as they did in the past when they disagreed with a change in the match time? Will TFF then be prepared to postpone yet another game?

The fact is, TFF needs to adopt a more measured and thoughtful approach. Harshness won’t solve the underlying issues; it will only fuel the fire. The TFF must respect its own laws and regulations and take these matters seriously. If the Federation is to maintain any credibility, it must fully investigate what happened with this match, identify the parties at fault, and ensure they face consequences. That is the true meaning of the law – it’s a saw that must be applied consistently.

If TFF fails to provide a thorough report on what transpired and take appropriate action, we will have to conclude that the leadership of the Federation itself was complicit in the decision to postpone the game. Reports suggest that there were conflicting instructions, and had the match gone ahead as planned, those responsible for the disruptions would have been dealt with according to the regulations.

If the decision to postpone the match came from TFF’s leadership, then the law must apply to them as well. However, under our current football culture, it appears that the sharpness of the saw is lost when it is needed most.

Ultimately, this situation could have been handled differently. The TFF and other football authorities must stop making arbitrary decisions that harm the integrity of the game. It is time for the Federation to take a firm stand, not by making harsh statements, but by ensuring that everyone involved adheres to the rules. The law must apply to everyone, equally and fairly.